Garmin Vivomove Sport review: The hybrid you’re looking for

With each and every 12 months that passes, Garmin manages to additional make bigger its smartwatch lineup. This 12 months began with two new releases at CES: the Garmin Vivomove Sport and the Venu 2 Plus. These two watches are a shining instance of Garmin’s implausible vary.

While there are many variations between the 2, the Vivomove Sport is an ideal demonstration of ways Garmin has mastered the artwork of packing crucial options into its extra reasonably priced and traditional-looking hybrid smartwatches. It’s lower than part the cost of one of the crucial different Garmin smartwatches available on the market, which is able to enchantment to funds consumers who don’t want all of the bells and whistles.

A hybrid smartwatch just like the Garmin Vivomove Sport is probably not the very first thing that involves thoughts when you’re buying groceries for an Android smartwatch, however do not be too fast to pass judgement on. Whether you’re new to wearables or you recognize that you can handiest want a couple of crucial options, the Garmin Vivomove Sport may wonder you.

The Garmin Vivomove Sport formally introduced at CES on Jan. 4, 2022. The corporate’s new hybrid smartwatch is to be had in 4 variants that retail for $179.99. You can purchase the wearable at once from Garmin or third-party dealers like Amazon and Walmart.

Garmin Vivomove Sport: What you can like

If you’re bored with smartwatches with lots of buttons and hefty designs that means you down, the Garmin Vivomove Sport will likely be a breath of clean air. The 40mm plastic case and the silicone band are slightly below 34 grams mixed. There are 4 colour schemes to choose between: Ivory with Peach Gold accents, Cocoa with Peach Gold Accents, Cool Mint with Silver accents, and Black with Slate accents.

This hybrid smartwatch is appropriate with 20mm interchangeable bands. So when you’re able for a metamorphosis, there will likely be various Garmin Vivomove Sport bands to select from. The silicone band featured with the watch is comfy and versatile, a blessing all the way through intense workout routines.

The Garmin Vivomove Sport can ultimate for as much as 5 days on a unmarried fee.

All issues regarded as, the battery lifestyles is beautiful respectable in this smartwatch. The Garmin Vivomove Sport can ultimate for as much as 5 days on a unmarried fee. I discovered this correct after dressed in it for a couple of weeks and recording a minimum of one process an afternoon whilst having push notifications enabled.

Some other folks could be anticipating extra, particularly since some hybrid smartwatches can double that determine. However, 5 days appear truthful whilst you account for process monitoring, all-day pressure tracking, sleep monitoring, and smartphone notifications. It’s no doubt significantly better than the day or two of battery lifestyles you can get on complex options that require extra widespread charging.

Using handiest the touchscreen, you are able to view your notifications, get started an process, and take a blood oxygen reading. The hands-on watch will transfer from your means every time you engage with the touchscreen. Aside out of your notifications and a couple of different phrases, the Garmin Vivomove Sport is based totally on symbols.

For instance, there is a image for Body Battery, and beneath, it is going to let you know in case your proportion is expanding, reducing, or retaining stable. Likewise, there is a image for pressure tracking, and beneath, it is going to let you know in case your ranges are low, medium, or excessive.

The show will wake whilst you carry your wrist to take a look at the time. You too can double-tap at the show to wake it up manually. The major menu presentations you the time and your present stats, equivalent to steps and coronary heart fee for the day. When you swipe to the left, you’ll be able to view extra detailed knowledge equivalent to your Body Battery, pressure ranges, notifications, climate, and tune controls. There are a couple of other brightness settings, however I discovered the car environment to be enough as a rule (extra on that later).

I’ve at all times been partial to the Garmin Connect app, which turns out to be useful when the usage of an eye just like the Vivomove Sport. However, you can wish to depend at the app when you wish to have to view extra detailed information referring to your metrics and development. You can select what playing cards and information are displayed at the major web page.

The Garmin Connect app has all of the main points you want.

When you wish to have additional information, merely open the logged process within the app. The Garmin Connect app has all of the main points you want. You’ll obtain knowledge referring to your steps, coronary heart fee, general distance, and energy burned. You too can check out your detailed logs for pressure, sleep, coronary heart fee, Body Battery, and so forth.

The Garmin Connect app additionally permits you to exchange your most well-liked watch face, upload or take away widgets from the principle menu you notice to your show, and alter the timeout and gesture settings. You can make a choice as much as 10 actions to show to your software. If you recognize there are ones you will not use, switch them out for other choices within the app.

When you wish to have to make changes on your day by day step function or weekly depth mins, those are all carried out within the app. You too can come to a decision whether or not you wish to have the Pulse Ox function enabled all the way through sleep, which tracks your blood oxygen ranges all the way through the night time.

Garmin Vivomove Sport: What you will not like

If you will have been spoiled by way of colourful AMOLED presentations and facet buttons galore along with your previous smartwatches, the Garmin Vivomove Sport might take some being used to. For starters, it is not a vivid and lovely show like you could have skilled with different wearables.

The monochrome OLED handiest exists at the backside part of the show, so house is proscribed. You’ll be doing numerous swiping to the left or proper. You additionally may not have any facet buttons to lend a hand with navigation, so the small touchscreen is your handiest hope. While receiving smartphone notifications is handy, it takes relatively a bit of of swiping to learn maximum issues around the show.

The major factor with the show is the loss of brightness and occasional answer.

However, the principle factor with the show is the loss of brightness and occasional answer, which is particularly problematic all the way through outside workout routines. If maximum of your actions will happen within the fitness center, this is probably not a topic for you.

When coping with direct daylight (or even some oblique daylight), it is difficult to peer the touchscreen to start out a exercise or look down and have a look at your stats. I frequently discovered myself ducking into shady spots to take a look at and notice my development all the way through coaching.

Many smartwatch customers are used to having a minimum of a couple of further perks. Aside from smartphone notifications and tune controls, there may be now not a lot to look ahead to within the extras division. There’s no tune garage at the watch, and it does not have NFC bills. These are not precisely same old options on hybrid smartwatches, so it is not an enormous wonder.

Garmin Vivomove Sport: Competition

Garmin is not the one logo that delivers quite a lot of hybrid smartwatch choices. Fossil is every other primary participant on this area. However, I’ve but to peer a Fossil hybrid smartwatch that comes with reference to the Garmin Vivomove Sport.

The Fossil Hybrid HR and Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR are worthy contenders, however handiest if you wish to save a couple of dollars or if you’re looking for an overly specific design. These watches additionally make the most of the E-Ink show, which is underwhelming at easiest. However, if you’re searching for prolonged battery lifestyles, you could be prepared to settle for fewer options and a lackluster show.

In phrases of pricing, Garmin’s personal Venu Sq and Garmin Lily are in a similar way priced choices value taking into account. The Venu Sq provides you with a full-color LCD and a squarish design slightly than a round one. You additionally get onboard GPS and NFC bills. If you need, you’ll be able to improve to the Venu Sq Music to take pleasure in onboard tune garage.

If you’re firmly enthusiastic about a hybrid, there are extra top class fashions to be had in Garmin’s lineup. The Vivomove Style involves thoughts, which is costlier for a couple of causes. The hidden show makes use of an AMOLED panel with upper answer, so that you get some colour slightly than a monochrome setup. It additionally makes use of each the highest and backside of the show, so you’re now not restricted to only the ground portion. You get a sturdier aluminum 42mm case, other strap choices, and NFC bills for Garmin Pay. If those bonus perks are profitable, you could be prepared to pay extra for the Garmin Vivomove Style.

Garmin Vivomove Sport: Should you purchase it?

You must purchase this if …

• You’re looking for an reasonably priced watch with elementary well being/process monitoring.
• You don’t need or desire a complete AMOLED touchscreen or facet buttons.
• You’re searching for a classy however delicate design that does not scream “smartwatch.”

You should not purchase this if …

• You’re looking for a top class smartwatch with lots of options.
• You want a sophisticated health smartwatch with integrated GPS.
• You’re now not partial to the standard analog watch aesthetic.

Some other folks have an overly transparent concept of what they would like from their wearable. Others are nonetheless figuring all of it out. If you’re the latter, it’s possible you’ll stumble around the Garmin Vivomove Sport and be pleasantly stunned. It may seem like a conventional watch at the floor, however there may be extra to it than that. It comes with heart-rate tracking, process monitoring, blood oxygen tracking, Body Battery, pressure monitoring, and extra.

Those who know precisely what they would like from a smartwatch is probably not inspired by way of the Garmin Vivomove Sport. Not everyone seems to be keen on the standard analog glance, in order that’s one thing to believe. Additionally, there is not any onboard GPS or complex monitoring options such as you’d most often to find on Garmin’s working watches. You may not have any further perks equivalent to NFC bills or onboard tune garage, both. However, if you’re content material with elementary monitoring and contours, this hybrid smartwatch may not will let you down.

4
out of five

The maximum necessary factor to know concerning the Garmin Vivomove Sport is that it is not your reasonable hybrid smartwatch. It’s a step above different choices available on the market with out being a full-fledged smartwatch. It lets in customers to revel in the most productive of each worlds by way of combining the easiest quantity of favor and capability.

As lengthy as you’re now not anticipating top class options related to high-end watches, you will not be dissatisfied. You’ll have a powerful process/well being monitoring seat that covers lots of the key metrics customers need. You may not get any further perks, however that may now not hassle you an excessive amount of for the low price ticket. Garmin has controlled to take a wearable that turns out beautiful elementary at the floor and cargo it up with one of the crucial easiest monitoring options conceivable.